Jdeutsch Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 I have a box of petrified Jasper wood that I collected over the years in Denver in the Platte piver and tributaries. The geologic strata information is complex but spans the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundry I was looking at some of the wood pieces that I have in a small pile today and saw what looks like a piece of bone- the piece is somewhat triangular from the end- so it has 3 sides, more or less, each about 5x10 cm, and the two 'triangular' ends are about 5 cm high. If it is bone, it would be from something large- depending on where it came from (as material from both sides of the K-Pg boundary could wash into the Platte) , and assuming bone- it could be dinosauer or mammal.. I expect that no one can say much about this rock, but would appreciate any opinions The pictures show each larger surface, with one close up, followed by the two ends Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strepsodus Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 Hi. Unfortunately I don't think it's bone; I think it's just a rock but I'm not sure what rock type it is. Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 I'm no expert on bone, but your specimen looks to me to be a piece of heavily calcified limestone. Water movement through it made the swiss cheese holes, and dissolved some of the calcium carbonate and deposited it in other places. We get that a lot in certain types of limestone formations here in Florida. You might find some fossils in the rock, though, and also some voids of where fossils used to be, so they are worth a look-over. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 (edited) vuggy limestome,alright.Those holes are not osteocyte lacunae Edited June 5, 2016 by doushantuo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 The holes are too irregular to be bone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 vuggy limestome,alright.Those holes are not osteocyte lacunae Osteocyte Lacunae is the name of my band. -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guguita2104 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 I'm no expert on bone, but your specimen looks to me to be a piece of heavily calcified limestone. Water movement through it made the swiss cheese holes, and dissolved some of the calcium carbonate and deposited it in other places. We get that a lot in certain types of limestone formations here in Florida. You might find some fossils in the rock, though, and also some voids of where fossils used to be, so they are worth a look-over. Fantastic explanation! I agree completely with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Ammonite Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 I am not convinced that it is limestone. The polish and pattern of wear suggests quartz or chert. Limestone is soft and usually does not last long in a river unless the source is nearby. Jdeutsch, does a steel knife scratch the rock? Chert will not scratch with a steel knife. Also Jdeutsch, since it is not bone, consider taking a piece off the rock so that we can see what is inside. Take a macro shot of the inside of the rock. There is a chance that the rock might have fossils inside. I have seen chert from the Mississipian Redwall Limestone in Arizona that has carbonate and silicified fossils inside. My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned. See my Arizona Paleontology Guide link The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdeutsch Posted June 13, 2016 Author Share Posted June 13, 2016 (edited) It looks like microcrystalline quartz does not react with strong HCl Does not scratch with iron tools has bands like agate or jasper- see pic 1 could be degraded petrified wood- the river produces beautiful specimens of brown jasper wood - see pic 2 Edited June 13, 2016 by Jdeutsch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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